New cave discovered in Sequoia

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Bad Man From Bodie
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Re: New cave discovered in Sequoia

Post by Bad Man From Bodie »

WOW....screw the gubment....go explore the geology!
Cross Country
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Re: New cave discovered in Sequoia

Post by Cross Country »

I believe pcase made a good case. On the other hand Randi actually wrote a lot to back up mountaineer's comments about elitism although seemingly wanting to do the opposite. By in large I agree with mountaineer. At times I tend to be elitist (and embarrass myself) and despite this, I agree with mountaineer.
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calcalif
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Re: New cave discovered in Sequoia

Post by calcalif »

Hi everybody.... I'm new to this forum and Anyway... Ive done paradise cave a number of times but I don't know the location of any of the others.. I know there a many In this area and would appreciate a heads up or a PM please anybody...
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creekfeet
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Re: New cave discovered in Sequoia

Post by creekfeet »

There are 300+ known caves in SEKI, and Crystal Cave is the only one that's open to the public. Any time they've opened any others up to the public, it's been a complete disaster. Caves inherently have very fragile eco-systems, and many Sierra caves have species that are endemic to just a single cave. For people that are interested in exploring other park caves, there are steps to take to make it happen, but it takes some work. Joining a local grotto is a good start.

For the renegades out there, any well known cave of note in the parks is likely to have a grate. That being said there are entrances in the vicinity of Crystal without grates. If you follow Yucca or Cascade Creeks, and check nearby drainages they're not too hard to find. However, the area is ripe with poison oak and pot growers, so be careful. Mineral King also has plenty of caves that aren't really hidden. Search and thou shall find. Technically you're not supposed to go in any of these places, but that's up to you. Also, there's a cave that's clearly visible from the Crystal Cave road that hundreds of people drive by every day, and yet no one knows it exists. I guess you have to know what you're looking for. As for Ursa Minor, it actually sits directly underneath the Crystal Cave parking lot, but that one will forever be off limits.
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limpingcrab
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Re: New cave discovered in Sequoia

Post by limpingcrab »

Ya, only 7 of the 300 or so caves have gates in Sequoia. There are plenty you can check out. Last time I talked to the cave specialist in Sequoia he said Ursa Minor will be indefinitely off limits, even to scientists. However, there are still endless opportunities. I'm just a regular dude and I got a permit to do biological inventories in a few caves, have been in dozens and have had the pleasure of discovering and naming 8 caves in the Kaweah drainage (only one of them was significant). This week a couple friends and I went on another hunt with record bush whacking and no luck, but if you're determined there's a lifetime of karst to explore up there.

Sucks that Ursa is restricted, but not too unreasonable considering how many caves you can go into whenever you want. And the fact that traveling correctly in a cave is more difficult than most people think. It's essentially the only cave in the park with this level of protection.
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